Westchester Community College cut the ribbon on a new Mental Health Suite, designed specifically to give WCC students the extra help they need in order to succeed.
WCC’s Department of Mental Health and Counseling Services creates a campus environment that is safe, growth fostering, and prioritizes the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of our college community. Employing a holistic approach to mental health, the department offers confidential, individual and group mental health services to students.
Many Westchester Community College students face significant burdens – financial and academic concerns, food insecurity, homelessness, and the emotional turmoil these and other factors bring – that affect their mental health and, consequently, their academic success. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges through two years of uncertainty, loss and trauma.
A consortium of public and private sources has come together to create the new Mental Health Suite at WCC. Located adjacent to the Health Services office, this new facility provides a private and confidential space for students to seek support and wait for appointments, sends a clear message to the WCC community that student mental health is a priority, and acknowledges the clear link between mental health and academic success. Its proximity to the Health Services office highlights that mental health is just as important as physical health and creates a Health & Wellness Center for the College.
The Mental Health Suite is made possible with a gift from Susan Yubas and Michael Benenson, funds from the WCC Faculty Student Association, and other generous donors to the Westchester Community College Foundation
“This new Health and Wellness Center is an example of how we listen to what the college community tells us it needs – that it is important to care for the whole person – body AND mind,” said Susan Yubas. “This collaboration is an excellent example of WCC, the Foundation and the community of donors working together to increase and expand the outstanding quality of services needed to further the success of all WCC students.”
For more information on WCC’s Department of Mental Health and Counseling Services, visit www.sunywcc.edu/mentalhealth.
